Assignment Sheet

Name of Line Managerand Job Title
Assignment Title / Qualified Social Worker
Generic Job Description Title / Professional Officer
Generic Job (GJD) Reference / C&F10
Assignment Reference / AG0608

Main Responsibilities & Duties

Children’s Services Function

The responsibility of the Children’s Services Function is to promote and ensure the safety, well-bring and learning of children and young people. Within the Service, Children and Young People’s Social Care Team provide services to “Children in Need”, children subject to Child Protection Plans, Children “Looked After” and consultancy across Early Help Services. Many of these roles operate through “multi-agency” teams.

Qualified Social Workers will work in accordance with professional standards (as set by the HCPC) and provide case responsible roles and statutory services to:-

  • Children and young people in need;
  • Children subject to “child protection plans”;
  • Children “looked after”.

They may also provide specialist and/or consultancy services where deemed beneficial to children and families to other professionals and to children and families receiving Early Years services.

Common Elements of the Assignment

  1. Make on-going assessments of allocated cases to reflect individual circumstances including assessment of risk, enabling independent functioning, and need to ensure that service users are protected from significant harm.
  1. Responsible for a caseload of varying complexity, commensurate with experience, ability and qualification, receiving and responding to referrals from various sources.
  2. Risk Assessment to ensure children and young people are protected. To respond to needs identified by specifying and delivering evidence based interventions as required.
  3. Statutory and best practice reviews and comply with appropriate legislation, policy and procedures.
  4. Assess financial safeguarding and care needs in consultation with other professionals and agencies and agree levels of support.
  1. Managing risk and safeguarding.
  1. Identify risk and safeguarding concerns and escalate immediately where appropriate.
  1. Prepare and present reports as necessary to facilitate proper decisions being made in respect of service users and to provide quality assurance.
  1. Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service professionals, managers and the courts in making decisions related to care.
  2. Maintain file records relating to service users to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures.
  3. To contribute to ensuring the successful completion of Quality Assurance processes within the team.
  1. Facilitate the provision of a needs-led service, working with providers within Social Services, Somerset Partnership and independent and voluntary sectors in order to meet requirements.
  1. Assess the needs of children and carers and facilities under the appropriate statutory frameworks.
  2. Access resources and services for families and carers which will assist them in caring appropriately for their children.
  3. Develop, facilitate and maintain effective joint working relationships, with primary care, housing, police and any other agencies as appropriate.
  1. Establish appropriate professional relationships with service users, their families and other professionals to enable effective partnerships in the provision of services.
  1. Build and maintain appropriate professional relationships and networks when working with children and their families and carers.
  2. Contribute to multi-agency team working, and participate in multi-agency meetings. Act as a lead worker as required engaging with other professionals on specific areas of expertise.
  3. Enable individual’s families and carers to address issues which affect their health, financial, emotional and social wellbeing.
  4. Promote children and young people’s equality, diversity and rights, by applying, maintaining and evaluating systems and structures in an anti-discriminatory way.
  1. Build upon existing knowledge and practice with research and training to develop individual skills and new approaches for improvement in service provision.
  1. Develop one’s own knowledge and practice and contribute to the development of policy and practice.
  2. Participate in performance appraisal and consultations with team managers and undertake regular professional development programmes to improve personal knowledge, skills and effectiveness.
  3. Provide accurate and timely operation of IT systems relating to client information, complying with practice requirements. Participate in the effective operations of quality assurance processes.

Other Elements and Specialist Assignment areas which you may be expected to undertake:

  1. To be available to provide a Duty Response Service within their service area as required by the Service Manager.
  2. To undertake Child Protection investigations, subject to qualification and experience.
  3. The assessment of the suitability of carers to provide good quality care to children and young people following national standards.Follow the ‘Looked After Children’ procedures in developing care plans for ‘Looked After’ children and young people.
  4. Supervise the work of students where appropriate, subject to experience and appropriate training.
  5. The supervision and support of carers and their families within statutory guidance.
  6. As and when appropriate to develop an area of expertise and liaise with other agencies as necessary. Where required, to develop and implement the Directorate’s response national initiatives and projects involving aspects of children and young people’s safeguarding and social care.
  7. Understand, uphold and promote the aims of the Council’s equality, diversity and inclusion policies; health, safety and wellbeing of self and others; and organisational values in everything you do. Equality and diversity practice covers both interaction with staff, service users and communities and includes challenging discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity for all.

Contacts & Relationships

The assignment requires well developed interpersonal and communication skills in order to:

  • Engage effectively with a range of audiences including professional partners and stakeholders;
  • Influence and mediate to achieve positive outcomes and to support and motivate children, young people, families and carers;
  • Manage challenging or sensitive situations and understand the circumstances where escalation is required;
  • Make constructive contributions in multi-agency settings;
  • Understand the requirement to use plain language.

The assignment requires effective working relationships with:

  • Children, young people, families and carers;
  • Colleagues in CYPD, children centres and partner agencies;
  • Schools, colleges, PRUs, Early Years providers, mental health services, police, courts, housing services etc.

Resources

  • Hold an active case load (as assigned).
  • Typically supervise no more than 2 employees.
  • To assist the Service Manager in the robust management of resources within the team by ensuring quality and value for money in servicedelivery.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Post Title: Social WorkerGrade: 10

1.Key Competencies
All applicants should demonstrate a commitment to our four key values – Customer Focus, Can Do Attitude, Collaboration and Care and Respect as described in the attached Information Sheet
You can find more information by following the link below: :http://extranet.somerset.gov.uk/hr/employment-information/our-values-4-cs/
In addition they should be able to demonstrate the relevant level of capabilities in line with the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers.
Interpersonal Relationships:
  • Develops and sustains professional working relationships with clients, carers, colleagues and external agencies based on mutual trust, respect for individual rights and cultural needs, and the promotion of equality and diversity.
  • Promotes independence and effectively disengages from relationships when appropriate.
  • Able to support and challenge in an appropriate way
Assessment and Service Provision:
  • Makes ongoing assessments of frequently complex client needs and associated risks and demonstrates knowledge and understanding of wide range of service options within budgetary framework/constraints.
  • Negotiates and implements effective plans for support, enablement, prevention, protection and monitoring, within department/government targets.
  • Offers practical suggestions and advice on long-term implications of alternative courses of action in relation to quality of service provision.
Problem Solving:
  • Responds calmly to unexpected and emotive problems, seeking solutions, modifying plans and arranging the provision of additional services and/or resources where appropriate.
  • Deals effectively with conflict – involving others when necessary.
  • Deals effectively with complex interfamilial and interagency problems and develops solutions
Communication Skills:
  • Able to communicate effectively and sensitively with people selecting most appropriate methods of interaction and respecting confidentiality at all times.
  • Produces clear, accurate and concise oral and written assessments, records and reports to facilitate decision making within social work and wider multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Selects appropriate medium and format for communication internally and to meet the needs of service users.
  • Co-ordinates and chairs group meetings
Team Working:
  • Co-operative and open with colleagues, sharing information or seeking assistance as appropriate.
  • Takes responsibility for own work and demonstrates willingness to learn from others and from experience.
  • Willing to assist colleagues to ensure effective service delivery within and outside the immediate team
Continuing Professional Development of Self and Others:
  • Supports development of self and colleagues through regular reflection on effectiveness of approach and the acquisition, dissemination and application of new knowledge and skills.
  • Ability to offer coaching and support to students and/or unqualified staff and supervise as required.

2.Work Experience
Essential / Desirable
Relevant multi-disciplinary Social Care experience within multi-disciplinary team - relevant to needs of post.
Evidence of partnership working with other agencies including Social Care Services, Health Services, Voluntary Agencies and/or Education. / A variety of experiences working withrelevant client group.
Supervisory experience (Essential for Experienced Social Workers)
3.Qualifications
Essential / Desirable
Possession of recognised Social Care Qualification – Degree in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
Registration with HCPC.
Portfolio of evidence demonstrating achievements against the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers.
4.Knowledge / Skills
Essential / Desirable
Knowledge and understanding of Social Care practice as defined by HCPC Guidelines, appropriate legislation and issues relevant to client group.
IT skills to enable effective input, manipulation and retrieval of data and information. / Understanding of social care resources and provision available beyond statutory agencies.
Awareness of government guidance and legislative changes across broad range of Social Service issues.
5.Personal Attributes
Essential / Desirable
Demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Demonstrates empathy, sensitivity, self awareness and acceptance of others.
Ability to prioritise workload, work with competing deadlines and organise time effectively.
Creative thinker.
Self-reliant and resilient – able to respond positively to difficult situations.
Willingness to embrace organisational change.
Ability to travel to meet the requirements of the post.

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